1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an integrated medical database system. More specifically, this invention relates to a billing modifier module for a medical database in the emergency medical transportation industry.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Current documentation procedures in the medical transport industry are based on an inefficient paper and pencil technology. Important information is frequently collected on loose sheets of paper. In the environment of emergency medical transport, little time is available to neatly chart and document all pertinent and required information on a single document. Dispatch data, demographic data and clinical data are normally tracked as fragmented pieces of information that are later coalesced into a complete patient chart. In many cases, these data include the same information, thus forcing the input of redundant information. The resultant chart is therefore vulnerable to being incomplete and unreliable. In a medical setting, incomplete information can lead to disastrous clinical results.
This same technology is used to support industry quality improvement and billing procedures and submit letters of transport justification. This paperwork is usually carried out well after the date the patient is encountered, prolonging account receivable times in many instances to the point of compromising and jeopardizing service compensation. Inventory stocking and tracking is similarly a victim of extended turnover times and is often incomplete and inaccurate.
The fragmentation throughout the medical transport environment is also evident in the myriad of entities throughout the country practicing different standards of care and documentation. As is the case in other segments of the healthcare industry, even seemingly simple tasks of communicating among the various entities, as well as among sections of a single providing entity, is severely hampered by the lack of a common communication format. This is especially evident when certain aspects of the system (such as computerized clinical laboratory result displays) have been upgraded with a uniquely tailored computerized system, while the remaining functions are still performed in an archaic manner. While the upgraded system may be effective for one singular aspect, such as dispatching, lab reporting, or chart dictating, the remainder of the system does not improve its effectiveness due to the other archaic components.
Current federal reimbursement changes for medical transportation are directed to acknowledge rural transports as being more expensive to accomplish because of the distances involved and the lower volume of transports. Current methods of attaching these modifiers are labor intensive and error prone. In many cases they are just not done because of the difficulty in applying them. There are significant financial benefits to adding these modifiers correctly and there are significant compliance risks to adding them incorrectly. What is desired is a capability to consistently apply transport associated modifiers in a compliant fashion. Furthermore, a capability where billing modifiers are applied to transport information would enhance a medical database system and is therefore also needed. Such billing modifiers would allow rural providers a financial advantage to offset low volumes of work, for example.